On-demand microwave single-photon source based on tantalum thin films

Single-photon sources are crucial for quantum information technologies. Here, we demonstrate a microwave single-photon source based on tantalum thin films, whose favorable material properties enable high-quality, stable photon emission. The antibunching behavior of the emitted radiation is revealed by second-order correlation measurements. Furthermore, traveling-wave parametric amplifiers are used as low-noise pre-amplifiers in the detection chains, substantially improving the signal-to-noise ratio and thereby greatly reducing the acquisition time required for second-order correlation measurements. These results demonstrate the viability of tantalum-based superconducting devices as reliable platforms for microwave quantum photonics.